Pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) are highly lethal and among the worst pediatric brain tumors. Predominantly because our understanding of the disease pathophysiology has not changed for the past 30 years, our treatment of this cancer has not dramatically improved.

We have assembled a team of scientists, neurologists, oncologists and neurosurgeons to improve understanding of the molecular pathology of pediatric DIPGs. We have successfully obtained specimen acquired during treatment (serum, urine, and CSF) and postmortem brain tumor specimens from collaborators around the U.S. and have performed proteomic and genomic studies on those samples. In order to expand on that preliminary data, additional specimens collected at diagnosis, during treatment, and post-mortem will need to be obtained and analyzed. To this end, we have launched a new clinical study to recruit patients for specimen donation. Please feel free to access further information about this study at the following URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01106794

Many parents have expressed a strong desire to participate in a program aimed at improving treatment for DIPGs. Parents and patients have the option to donate any of the following specimens: CSF, blood, urine, or tumor collected at any point during diagnosis, treatment, or post-mortem. Our program will cover all associated costs.